Oppresion of the LGBT Community

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Transcript of Oppresion of the LGBT Community

Not to mention the regular subjection to verbal abuse. By: Olivia Greenfield, John MacDougallAlex Rodriguez, Nadia Montanez Oppression: The LGBT Community This Doesn't FeelRight Don't worry, there's a cure! Of all of the mistreatment homosexuals face, the most common comes from family. Straight, often conservative families, that are unable to accept their children for what they are. Often, instead of learning to accept their children, they instead try to change them. Gay to straight conversion camps exist all over the United States, whose intent is as their title would suggest. "Being gay is not a Western invention.It is a human reality." -Hillary Clinton WHY SHOULD WE? Some people try to "help". The therapy and activities that go on at these camps are proven not to work by personal accounts and instead only harm the children and adults they are trying to change. It is impossible to change someone to their very core as these camps try to do. There is no "gay gene" or switch that must be switched off. Sexuality is a part of a person just as much as gender or ethnicity, and that is something that cannot be changed. The most common founders of these camps and therapy centers in the United States are sections of Christians, who believe that God hates homosexuals. This often seeps over into politics as well, with the majority of the anti-gay sentiment coming from conservatives. Ironically, these Christian bigots often point toward the Bible as proof of God's hatred of slavery, despite the many other outdated topics present there. One example of this is slavery. As Dan Savage said, "The Bible is a radically pro-slavery document. Slave owners waved Bibles over their heads in the Civil War and justified it." What makes them anymore different than us? What makes one marriage less valid than another? What gives the government the right to say one marriage has more value than the other. Two people, under any conditions, should have the freedom to celebrate their commitment publicly and receive the same benefits as any other married couple. Allowance of same-sex marriage can bring revenue to state and local government inmany ways. Oppression of the LGBT community is everywhere; there is discrimination,bullying, and harm allaround us. For hundreds of years members of the LGBT community have been shunned, oppressed, terrorized, and denied rights. These horrors have inspired some members of the community to stand up and fight for equal representation while others have chosen to commit suicide to escape. Still, there are anti-gay activists in churches and around the world combating the growing gay rights movements and supportive organizations. Emotional abuse is what has inspired many in and outside of the community to stand up and fight for what they see as right. In 1977, large pro-gay rights groups took to the streets for the first major riots and marches. Anita Bryant, was the woman who first began to inspire gays to come out in large numbers and stand up for themselves, but she did so in a peculiar way. She said what most conservative Americans and fundamentalist Christians were thinking, it was not right to be gay. Her outlandish anti-gay rights acts inspired those she was oppressing to stand up for themselves. Members of the LGBT community began to realize the only way they could win their rights was by fighting for them. “If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nail biters.” - Anita Bryant Throughout history members of the LGBT community have been referred to as non-human. In fact, Pope Benedict XVI recently stated that the church must “promote those values that permit the full development of the human person.” Basically implying that gays are not fully developed people. Oppression has lead to high gay suicide rates, in fact it is estimated that 30 to 40% of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. Three times more students in the LGBT community feel unsafe at schools as compared to other students. Organizations such as the Trevor Project have recently set out to lower these rates and ultimately obliterate them. This project in particular provides online support, a suicide hotline, prevention services, and an online community, in hopes of persuading youth members of the LGBTQ community to push through oppression. The Trevor Lifeline is: 1(866) 488-7386The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is: 1(800) 273-TALK(8255)GLBT National Youth Talkline: 1(800) 246-PRIDE(7743) Everyone in this room knows someone who is gay.We all see the controversy over gay rights bubbling up in schools, politics, and literature.We are the generation that can change the mistreatment of the LGBT community. For too long there has been oppression of the LGBT community in the form of the denial of rights, physical and mental abuse, and overall discrimination. 1 out of every 10 people is gay, which makes this possibly the largest modern human rights violation. Our generation can change this, by participating in pro-gay rights riots and organizations, as well as voting for candidates and bills that will improve the lives of the members of this community. We can live in a world where people, no matter their sexuality, are treated as equals. Pictures like these cover newspapers and websites. Homosexuals are often denied common human rights. There are many peoplethat do not feel this extremely. Still, theydeny gays common human rights.

Same-sex marriage isonly legal in 9 states. Currently Illinois is trying to become the 10th. The most popular opposition to gay rights is found in the Bible. Some sections of Christianity argue that God does not support members of the LGBT community.

Lev 20:13 "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death."

Lev 18:22-23 "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."

(Davies) The same people who quote these verses from the Bible choose to ignore others. For example...

Lend money to your enemies without expecting repayment (Luke 6:35).

When you host a meal, do not invite your friends and relatives. Instead, invite the poor and disabled (Luke 14:12-14).

Keep giving to the poor until there is equality (2 Corinthians 8:13).

Others include not mixing different fabrics of clothing and not eating seafood.

(Thompson) However, the main argument against using the Bible as anti-gay evidence is that the Bible teaches love. This relates to Douglass' accounts of slaverybecause the mistreatment of slaves was often supported by the idea that African Americans were less than human. Just as we see with the LGBT, slaves were oppressed, physically and mentally abused, and given little to no rights. The oppression of the LGBT community through conversion camps, lack of rights, and physical and mental abuse has to stop now. As one of the largest human rights violations in our modern world we must pay attention to the destruction these anti-gay actions cause our society. IT IS OUR TURN TO STAND UP. Comfort someone you know is being bullied because of his or her sexuality. Take part in community, city, and nationwide protests for gay rights. Get informed and spread the word. It's about being happy, its about being equal, its about human rights. Stand up 4 GAY rights The military refused to accept homosexuals because of the DADT (Don't ask, don't tell) policy until September 2011 when it was repealed. Child Custody Loss According to a Federal law, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBTs) are not protected against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the private sector. Housing Discrimination: LGBTs Can't Live In Certain Communities The Fair Housing Act lends no protection to LBGTs when purchasing, renting, or leasing a home on the basis of sexual orientation. Some might also say:

Girls need a father.Boys need a mother.Members of a same sex marriage cannot have biological children.